1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of prosthetic devices in general, and in particular to a reversible variable angle prosthetic leg device whose flexibility/rigidity can be selectively varied.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,405,410; 5,800,565; 5,888,232; and 5,997,583, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse prosthetic leg devices. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,441 discloses a prosthetic leg device that employs a concavo-convex portion to enhance the flexibility of the prosthetic device.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical arrangement wherein both the leg and foot portions of the prosthetic leg device are angularly adjustable relative to one another and wherein the rigidity/flexibility of the prosthetic device can be varied in a number of ways.
As most users of prosthetic leg devices are all too well aware, virtually all of the commercially available prosthetic leg devices offer very little in the way of variable rigidity/flexibility for different mobile situations, nor do they feature any angular adjustment between the leg and foot portions of the device to accommodate footwear having different heel heights ranging from flats to short heels for men, as well as flats to high heels for women.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need for a new and improved angularly adjustable variable resistance prosthetic leg device which will allow the user to quickly and simply make adjustments to the prosthetic leg device to accommodate the particular needs of the prosthetic wearer at any given time, and the provision of such a device is the stated objective of the present invention.
Briefly stated, the prosthetic leg device that forms the basis of the present invention comprises in general, a leg unit, a foot unit, and an adjustment unit that can be used to vary the angular orientation of the leg unit relative to the foot unit. The invention also includes a number of methods of varying the rigidity/flexibility of both the overall device, as well as specific segments of the leg and foot units.
This invention essentially begins where the concavo-convex arrangement of the Phillips xe2x80x2441 patent left off in that there is a unique cooperation between the leg and foot units of this invention that permits the leg unit to be quickly and easily reversed 180xc2x0 relative to the foot unit to convert the prosthetic leg device of this invention from a xe2x80x9cwalkingxe2x80x9d prosthetic to a xe2x80x9crunningxe2x80x9d prosthetic.
In addition, the invention allows the leg unit to be angularly adjustable relative to the foot unit, and for both the leg unit and the foot unit to have means for adjusting the rigidity/flexibility of selected portions of each unit.
As will be explained in greater detail further on in the specification, the leg unit includes a leg pylon member having integrally formed upper, intermediate, and lower segments. The upper and lower segments have perpendicularly oriented generally cylindrical configurations and the intermediate segment has a generally thin flat concavo-convex configuration whose reversal relative to the foot unit produces dramatically different results from a rigidity/flexibility standpoint.
Furthermore, the foot unit includes an integrally formed foot member having an ankle segment, a toe segment, and a heel segment. The ankle segment is provided with an elongated arcuate recess that is dimensioned to laterally receive the generally cylindrical lower segment of the leg pylon member such that the concavo-convex intermediate segment of the leg pylon member can be disposed in oppositely facing directions relative to the foot member to produce a generally rigid xe2x80x9cwalkingxe2x80x9d configuration or a relative flexible xe2x80x9crunningxe2x80x9d configuration.
As will also be explained in greater detail further on in the specification, the adjustment unit is designed to captively engage the lower segment of the foot pylon member in the arcuate recess of the ankle segment of the foot member at various angular orientations to accommodate footwear having different heel heights. Both the leg unit member and the foot unit have removable elements whose presence or absence will vary the relative rigidity/flexibility of selected portions of those units.